San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-09-08
Matehman. What Of the Night !

Lot us consider IL Tor low moinonth
and try 10 ascertain just how We
stand.
The FREE Pass, az its readers
know, while not "blown about by ev'
cry wind OF doctrine" or misled by
false hopes, is not at the same time
ready TO run 10 the opposite extrome
and yield to despair. In an editorial
in our paper OF January ID, we
showed correct appreciation OF the
situation. We said; ave regard
the condition OF San Marcos as
healthy and promising, notwithstand
ing'th crop failure" At the same
time we ridiculed tho talk Of "boom"
and added;
No boom OF any sort is thought OF
here by our solid, sober-minded peo'
pie. The utmost they are now hop.
ing for is TO tide over the present
almost unparalleled hard times, and
TO be ready 10 avail themselves OF the
returning prosperity which will follow
better crops.
It will be recollected that sundry
feeble attempts were made to ridicule
the above, but it must be apparent
to all that it was simply and strictly
true then, and furthermore that it is
equally true to-day.
Still the case is by no means hope
less, and we regret to notice q dis
position to exaggerate the ills we
have in certain quarters. Old citi-
zens of this country especially, who
ought to know its peculiarities by
this time, it seems to us are unneces-
sarily "down in the mouth and prone
to make the worst OF the situation.
For instance, we hear such speaking
of our not having had crop for five
years. This is quite incorrect. If
you soy we have not had first class
crop for five years, it would be true,
but judged by that standard we
might say of truth that there have
been but two rst-class seasons dur
ing the fourteen years since we came
to the country, viz, 1878 and 1882.
But the real truth is that with the
exception of this and last year, the
seasons since 1882 have averaged fair
ly with those before, save only 1878,
Last year and this, as we have said,
have been much the worst, and what
have so set us back.
Again, we used to have a great re-
source against bad seasons in the
stock interest. This just now is lost
to us from the fact that the Northern
market is being fully supplied from
other quarters, and is hence closed
to us. The scheme of opening d.
rect trade with Europe by the re-
frigerator plan is as yet only specula-
tive; so practically we have no mar
ket for our cattle, which makes our
crop failure doubly disastrous.
But we argue that we may now
with great confidence anticipate q
change for the better. It is quite
unlikely that we shall have another
season as bad as the last two, imme-
diately following. And meantime,
the refrigerator plan will probably
be put in operation so as to give us
once more steady market for our
cattle-better than ever before.
What then With good season or
two, and with this new market for
our cattle, the country will go right
along on the highway of prosperity,
making up rapidly for lost time.
San Marcos especially, with the new
railroad now in progress, and another
most likely added, will be in the direct
line of prosperity and progress. All
present lines of business will revive
and become remunerative, and new
ones will be added. Then that
$4,000 school house, for the lack of
which our growing multitude of chill
dren are pining and suffering, may
reasonably be anticipated, adding to
the reputation and population of our
little city as nothing else can. Then
our Chautauqua may fairly be expect
ed to 'arise and shine" according to
the ideal of its founders and to the
benefit and blessing of our community
Then our proposed County Fair will
no doubt be q success. Then new
enterprises and manufactures, ut
present unanticipated, may come to the
front. And then, with permanent !
cattle market assured, it will be i'm
possible that we can ever again suffer
from crop failures as we are now do
ing. General prosperity and content
will ensue, and the California fever
will receive its quietus.
Such, hastily sketched. is our out
look of the situation, and we are al
r,urA -nnIr 20 nrnlninn asThn morning